Denver courts, jail gearing up for convention contingencies
By Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 4, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Denver judges are clearing their dockets and preparing to work longer hours during the week of the Democratic National Convention.
Two courtrooms will be reserved for arraignments in DNC- related cases, said Presiding Judge Andrew S. Armatas.
They will operate from 8 a.m. to midnight, if necessary.
"Everything is 'if necessary,' " Armatas said. "We're ready for everything."
No jury trials, civil cases or other hearings are being scheduled from Aug. 23 to 30, but judges will be available for emergency hearings, such as restraining orders or landlord-tenant disputes.
The convention is set for Aug. 25-28.
Armatas said the arrangements were made as a precaution and that he has received no estimate of the number of people police expect to arrest.
Capt. Frank Gale, spokesman for the Denver County Sheriff's Office, said the department is planning to open a temporary detention facility during the DNC to augment the existing predetention center and jail.
The location for the temporary facility still is up in the air, but Gale said the department wants a facility that would allow 30 to 50 people to be processed per hour.
A site should be selected in the next week to 10 days, Gale said.
burnetts@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5343
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August 4, 2008
7:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
LingLingfor_prez writes:
Now this will limit the number of courts available too? What's next?
August 4, 2008
8 a.m.
Suggest removal
Art writes:
30 to 50 processed per hour comes to 360 per day using the smaller number, and using 12 hours for a day, or just over 1,400 for the four day boondogle. Is there a quota for the DPD to meet? Who will pay for this? Hick has said that not one penny of Denver taxpayer's money will be required for the convention. Who will pay for the costs of incarcerating and prosecuting over a thousand people?
August 4, 2008
11:47 a.m.
Suggest removal
LingLingfor_prez writes:
Maybe we can outsource that to China, lol.
August 4, 2008
12:35 p.m.
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Mayor_Quimby writes:
Hopefully, they will lock up Obama and Hillary first.